Top Ten Blog COUNTDOWN for 2025, Part 2

5 - Estes AMRAAM Downscale

I've always like the Amraam with its forward fins.

This was a downscale from a BT-55 to a heavy wall BT-50. 

4 - Estes LTV SCOUT

Another classic I never got around to in the 1970s.

Small fins, blow molded transitions and some really crappy wood tunnels. 

Three feet tall!

3 - New Way BLADE RUNNER

A standout design, different from anything else!

A little tricky getting all the balsa filled.

2 - Centuri SKYLAB

A clone using 3d parts.

Challenging build, great results on the solar panel fins.

The best build of the year - 

Number 1 - 

Estes BLACK STAR VOYAGER!

This one sat in the bag for a few years. I had concerns about the multi piece fins. 

My hesitation was unfounded. A well engineered design with accurate laser cut parts.

Only 37 launches in 2025! I hope to do better next year.

If you'd like to see past TOP 10 lists, 

Type "Top 10" in the "Search This Blog" box in the right side margin. 

Top Ten Blog COUNTDOWN for 2025, Part 1

These are my favorite posts and builds from the past year. 

Some posts were great surprises or just good builds. 

Counting down from 10 to 1 - Click on the BLUE names to go to the build posts:

10 - Estes ADVANCED TARGET DRONE

Cardstock intakes and white decals added to a good challenge.

9 - QUEST INTRUDER KITBASH

The Quest sticker decals were ruined so I kit bashed it into a Estes Interceptor - sort of.

The two kits were already close in design anyway. The Quest Intruder is smaller. 

8 - STAR SEEKER UPSCALE 

The original Star Seeker was a small BT-5 model, part of the Estes Mini Tri-Pak. A great design deserves to be bigger!

7 - Estes MINI BOMARC

This is another one I had built in the 1970s.

Interesting how the same die-cut balsa ended up in the Estes Firefly parasite boost glider kit.

6 - Estes MONARCH KITBASH

Just finished on the blog, The Monarch design was too plain. I decided to change it out for a half sized 18mm Optima.

The countdown continues tomorrow!

2024 Top Ten Builds, Part 2

Continuing from build 5 to number 1 -

5. Enerjet by Aerotech STRONG ARM

A great missile design, no masking.

The large graphics décor looks great!

While I'm not a fan of slightly raised stickers, most large mid and high power rockets use stick on vinyl anyway!

4. Estes Astron CONSTELLATION

A classic reissue from the "Estes Vault".

I posted a earlier build from a few years back showing an alternative to the balsa fin tip pods.

3. Estes SKYTRACER clone

This clone required a complete decal draw and construction of the engines from various pen parts and nose cones.

The nose cone canopy was fashioned from cardstock.

2. Estes CONDOR 

Built from an original kit.

This reminds me off a smaller Orbital Transport. 

I was lucky, the old decals transferred just fine.

And the best kit and build of the year - 

Number 1, the New Way/Old Way

NIKE AJAX

A clone kit of the Estes Nike Ajax model from 1976!

Tall and detailed, the build was a good challenge. 

This picture only shows the upper half!

2024 Top Ten Builds, Part 1

Here we go again - The TOP TEN builds of 2024! 

    These are personal preferences, you may not agree with my choices.

    Picks are based on design, engineering, instructions and construction.

Click on the model names to go to the builds. 

Searching builds like the Great Goblin might bring up every post where the word "Goblin" was mentioned. Scroll down to find the kit build you want, then to the bottom of that post and click on the Label "E Great Goblin". That will focus on the individual build, in reverse order from finished model to start.

  

You can SEARCH "Top 10" to see builds from previous years.
 

 

10. Estes MINI BERTHA

A mini engine clone from the 1970s Estes Mini Brute line. It was fun looking back on the Mini Brutes I owned as a teen.

9. Enerjet By Aerotech ARREAUXBEE HI 

A large scale tribute to the original Model Missiles Aerobee Hi model rocket.

While not a true scale model, it captures the spirit of the first model rocket kit design.

8. Carded MINI GOBLIN

A rebuild of a carded MMX rocket. This was one I've wanted to draw-up and build for quite some time.

7. Estes GREAT GOBLIN

This was a show build for Estes and is now on display in Penrose.

Interesting built-up fins.

6. Enerjet by Aerotech INITIATOR

Sorry, there is not a full blog build for this one - 

I built five of these for Aerotech, three flight and two show versions. It's a great introduction into mid-power rocketry. I found it hard to match the red nose cone paint to the red ink on the stickers.

The rest of the Top 10 tomorrow!

Top Ten Blog COUNTDOWN for 2023, Part 2

5. Odd'l Rockets F-18 BLUE ANGEL

One of my kits made the Top 10 - How can that happen?

The kit is better than the decals I bought online. The narrow yellow Ebay decals had to be pieced together.   

 

4. Estes B.O.S.S.

The latest in the Estes Designer Series.

The Star Trek Enterprise might be a design influence here. 

3. New Way ANGLED INVADER

A great square tube kit from New Way.

I've always liked the original Estes Invader design, I like this one a little more.

2. Estes EAC VIPER Upscale

This was trickier than I initially thought. It did require complete redraws of the decals. I had to try a few different spray colors on the nose cone to match the decals. The old instructions say to use purple, but Ace Tropical Pink was the best.

 

And, the Number One build for 2023 -     

Centuri QUASAR clone

The ramjet engines on the fin tips were built up from spare parts.

The full red on the fins required double layers of the home print decals to match the paint color density.

The picture above shows the single layer decals. 

My Mother always liked this design, it reminded her of the Buck Rogers ship.

BT-60 based, a good size and detailed demo model. 

This year, only 16 rocket builds.

The 2023 launches totaled only 32. Not many, but ten more flights than in 2022! 

You can see the TOP TEN LISTS from previous years - Just type "Top Ten" in the search box on the right side under the advertisement.

Top Ten Blog COUNTDOWN for 2023, Part 1

Back to the Great Goblin build in two days - But first, a year-end tradition - the TOP TEN!

This years Top 10 is a little different. 

This past Summer I cut back on my builds so there were fewer finished models to choose from. 

Click on the BOLD model names to go to the builds.

#10 is usually not a favorite counting down to #1, or the best build.

This year from #7 to #1 were pretty good.
These are simply my picks, based on the build, flight experience and blog postings.

_____________________________________________________________________

10. Wolverine PHOENIX AIM-54A  

This was a correction build - the tube lengths I was sent were too long resulting in a "stretched" model. It just didn't look right.   

   

9. Estes KLINGON BATTLE CRUISER

This is one of two builds I started years back, but set aside after things got frustrating. I finally finished both builds. 

Compromises in the assembly and some home print decals finished things up.

No enough room for the 18" parachute. A dog in flight - very heavy. 

Props to Estes for kitting up a design that probably shouldn't fly stable.

8. MPC LAMBDA PAYLOADER

A build from the past. It's always interesting to build a kit from the late 1960s. Over the years there have been some changes in parts and materials.

7. Quest ICARUS

A classic 3FNC design with some good sticker graphics. 

Quest has been upgrading their larger kits to use the 24mm Q-Jet motors. 

6. Estes BLACK BRANT XII

Estes new scale kit is big and impressive.

A great challenge sanding the diamond shaped fins.

Lots of color and some tricky masks.

Why is this at #6?

I found the fin laminations hard to glue together. Keep an eye on them as they will slip and slide before the glue sets up.

More tomorrow . . . 

Top Ten Builds for 2022, Part 2

Continuing the countdown -

5. Estes Super Orbital Transport

The new, upsize classic!

It's a job getting all the inside surfaces filled and smooth. 

For the complete build: CLICK HERE

A TIE at #4 - 

4. Estes Skylab 

A 4" diameter Saturn V variant. The top section is a difficult mask, but worth it in the end. 

For the complete build: CLICK HERE

A TIE at #4 - 

4. Estes Solar Sailer Clone 

This was a good surprise build. While not as complex or as tall as the original, there is still plenty of detail with the girder decals.

For the complete build: CLICK HERE

3.  EAC Firecat Clone 

This was a long, awaited build. I never ordered one when offered through the Estes Aerospace Club.

I suggested to Estes this should be one of the new Designer Series kits. It has an interesting back story - a S.P.E.V. made up from the leftover Vashon Honest John kit.

For the complete build: CLICK HERE

2.  Estes Delta Wedge Clone

This has to be my favorite clone - ever! It took a few re-draws and refits of all the cardstock pieces. A weird, fun design. 

For the complete build: CLICK HERE 

And the Number One Build for 2022 - 

 ESTES ODYSSEY 

This one sat unopened, in the bag for a few years. I was almost afraid to tackle such a complex build. I knew there were many cardstock details that needed edge sealing before construction. In the end, it wasn't as bad as I thought. 

You do have to plan ahead to get white spray paint coverage on all the inside areas.

 

For the complete build: CLICK HERE 

__________________________________________________________

More builds from 2022 not in the Top 10 list:

Estes Blue Origin New Shepard (2 built)

Estes Blackhawk (1 built)

Odd’l Rockets F-18 (4 built)

Quest High Q (2 build)

New Way Boxie Birdie (1 built)

Quest Falcon (3 built)

Estes Spaceship One (1 built)

ASP Ram (1 built)

Rocketship Games Alice’s Star Rocket (1 built)

Quest Enerjet Quad Runner (3 built)

36 Builds Total in 2022

__________________________________________________________

I'm embarrassed by my flight totals this year - Only 24 launches!

At my age I can't do the hot Summer launches anymore. It takes me the following day to recover! There were also some monthly club launch site rain cancellations and I didn't get to the schoolyard very often.

Still, I built a LOT of rockets!

Top Ten Builds for 2022, Part 1

An end of the year tradition - 

This annual list puts some of the blog builds in order of favorites from 10 to 1. 

(This annual post it the tough one, it takes a few hours to gather info, pictures and links.)

These are the builds that were the high points this year.

Choices are my own based on the overall build experience and some flight performance.
Your favorites might be different!

No bad builds this year, all kits were well produced. 

10.  ASP Micro Sandia Sandhawk

Another great MicroMaxx model from ASP!

A bit taller than most MMX rockets, still impressive altitude from the 1/8A motors.

To see the complete build: CLICK HERE

9. New Way Squared Red Max 

A great take on the Estes classic.

A bit smaller than the BT-60 model. 

The kit contains the white decals 

To see the complete build: CLICK HERE

8. Quest Enerjet Big Dog

A BIG demo model. Graphics are fun but these are peel and stick. A bit hard to find the right matching shade of "red" for the nose cone.

To see the complete build: CLICK HERE

7  New Way Mars Snooper II

Another great New Way kit, this time a round tube clone of the second Mars Snooper design. It is on the right next to the Estes original.

To see the complete build: CLICK HERE

6  Quest Enerjet Minotaur 

Six SRBs on this one!

A few kit pieces may not match the parts list in the instructions. 

A very impressive model, but lots of stickers. 

To see the complete build: CLICK HERE

The countdown continues tomorrow!

2021 Top Ten List, Part 2

Continuing the Countdown from Build #5 . . .

5. ESTES MARS SNOOPER

What can you say about a Classic? This reissue is a 24mm upscale.

4. FLISKITS SPACE RAIDER

A Jim Flis freebie! The design inspiration came from a old playground gym photo. I made some size adjustments to the nose cone and color was added to the fins.

3. ESTES SATURN 1B

An updated 1/100 scale Saturn 1B the same scale as the Estes Saturn V! Many improvements over the original Centuri kit.

2. QUEST/AEROTECH 

MEAN GREEN

This was a surprise - 2" diameter, D power. I love the big graphics. The metallic green paint really sets it off. I know - stickers! But if you paint the fin leading edges black, the look is very good.

The Number One Build for 2021 . . . 

1. ESTES ANTAR

The coolest design with a great history. It also has one of the more difficult paint masks!

A very well engineered design with great graphics on the kit box!

It's been a busy build year with 67 finished builds in total for both Estes and Quest.

I only launched 50 rockets this year. That's understandable with launch cancellations due to Covid and too much rain flooding the club field this past Summer. We also lost the use of the LASER Club field. Orlando ROCK is holding club launches again.

Odd'l Rockets has grown, now almost bigger than a one-man operation.

Who would have thought that Model Rocketry could be a full-time job!

To see previous annual TOP 10 Build Lists, CLICK HERE

2021 Top Ten Builds - Part 1

TOP TEN LIST FOR 2021

Here we go again! These are tough decisions to make. 

Maybe it's the design, parts or how well it went together.

Sometimes it's simple, something I like about the model.

This list isn't from the worst to best, all Ten listed below are very good.

CLICK on the model name to go to the blog build or catalog page.

10. ODD'L ROCKETS F-18

Sure it's self promotion - but it's always exciting to bring out a new kit!

A blog build is coming in the future . . . 

9. ESTES TWIN FACTOR

A smaller 13mm two-stage rocket with a good build challenge. Perfect staged model for a small field.

8. ESTES DARC-1

A tough to cut out nose section and difficult masks.

The finished model is impressive.

7. QUEST HARPOON AGM

Even with 12 fins to fill this one is a favorite. If it wasn't sent back to Quest, it'd probably be a regular flyer.

6. ASP MMX HAWK

A very slick little MicroMaxx rocket! No balsa grain filling, the fins, nose cone and tunnel details are plastic. 

The Countdown continues tomorrow, builds 5 to 1!